Happy Full Moon in Virgo! This Full Moon becomes exact on Friday, March 18 at 3:18 AM New York Time (7:18 GMT).
Virgo is an earth sign that is represented by The Maiden. It is associated with Persephone in Greek mythology. Virgo is very much associated with the wheat crop, as the ancients thought that Virgo—the second-largest constellation in the sky—appeared to be a woman with wings carrying a sheaf of wheat.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the final third of summer (Virgo season) has historically been the time when the most crops are reaped. In order to reap crops, it requires discipline, planning, and pragmatism. These are three qualities that the sign of Virgo models for the rest of the Zodiac.
Virgo means virgin in Latin. The sign of Virgo is also associated with purity and self-sufficiency. The Virgo glyph is an 'M' with a tail that turns inward, representative of Virgo's ability to introspect and discern. It also may represent sexual shyness, as Scorpio, the most outwardly sexual of signs, has a glyph that is an 'M' with a tail that is an outward-pointing arrow, representing a phallus.
Virgo is a mutable sign that brings logic, order, practicality, ritual, communication and understanding into focus. It opposes the sun in the mutable water sign of Pisces.
The Virgo-Pisces axis is about the logical versus the intuitive, the spiritual versus the material, and the unmanifest versus the manifest. Virgo seeks to understand, while Pisces simply feels. Virgo is the material, while Pisces is the spiritual. Virgo is the manifest, while Pisces is the unmanifest or potential.
During this Full Moon time, we have the opportunity to find a balance between thinking and feeling and to use logical analysis and communication to our advantage. Virgo is ruled by Mercury, which joins the sun currently in Pisces. Virgo rules the 6th house in astrology, which includes the themes of physical health, practicality, logic, organization, goal-setting, action and community service. These themes are the focus right now.
With the sun and moon both forming supportive aspects to destructive and transformative Pluto in Capricorn (the sun sextiles it and the moon trines it) and to the North Node in Taurus (ditto), there is a strong opportunity to solve problems, create solutions, and experience deep, much-needed transformation that will serve us for the long-term through the use of all things Virgo: logic, planning, goal-setting, discipline and communication. This possibility also applies to the world stage at this time.
In short, is time to get your life in order. It's a time to let your logical mind serve you. It’s time to find practical solutions. Your physical body and daily rituals should be the focus over the next 28 days. Journaling will be extra helpful at this time.
To figure out what you personally need to work on during the next 28 days (and beyond), start with what's closest to you – your own flesh and bones. How has your body been feeling? Have you been sleeping enough? Have you been exercising? Are you eating well? Are you drinking enough water? Are there some medical issues that need to be addressed?
The name of the game now and for the next 28 days is self-care. Putting yourself first is a great act of kindness toward yourself. And of course, the more your own cup is filled, the more effectively you are able to help others or make them smile. Ultimately, you come into this world with yourself, you are with yourself 24/7 and you leave this planet with yourself. No one else is going to put you first.
Self-care is not an easy thing to master, because we tend to fall into patterns of complacency. It is normalized on our planet for people to get into a routine consisting of survival (working for money), taking care of home/family, sleep and entertainment. Most people leave little wiggle room to optimize their physical and mental health through healthy routines.
It's something that I've struggled with as well and thus it's a consistent lesson I am being called to master. Self-discipline is what separates those who experience a high level of success as opposed to moderate or little success.
Both being and doing are relevant and important in a spiritual awakening journey, and even though it might at first glance seem contradictory, self-discipline with daily rituals can not only amplify and assist your ability to create and accomplish ('the doing')--but it can also assist you in better learning how to be, as good daily rituals will clear your mind of toxic thoughts, ground you and get you excited about life.
Here are some suggestions for adding some supportive daily rituals in honor of this Virgo Full Moon:
Belly-breathing meditation
Mantra chanting
Journaling
Brain Gym exercises
Cortices Technique
Yoga, tai chi or qi gong
Pulling a daily tarot card
A daily walk, jog, or bike ride
A daily fresh juice
A daily healthy smoothie
Saying “I love you” to yourself in the mirror upon awakening and before bed
Daily reading time
Saying affirmations in the mirror daily
Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping)
Daily cleaning/organizing time
A new healthy diet (if you’d like help figuring out which diet is best for you, consider booking a Medical Intuitive Reading with me).
Here are some tips for implementing and actually keeping up with supportive and healthy daily rituals:
Start with one or two things at a time; keep disciplined with those one or two rituals before adding another one.
Plan ahead! Make it a no-brainer for you to actually do the ritual. Examples: clean your juicer right after using it so it doesn't seem like such a chore; place your running shoes right by the front door the night before; put your yoga mat right next to your bed; put your journal on your nightstand; set alarms on your phone for times when you'd like to do a certain ritual.
Keep a daily checklist on piece of paper, your phone, or a white board (my preferred).
Have a consistent bedtime and wake up time.
Strive to do rituals at a consistent time of day: this trains your brain to expect that you're going to do the ritual (e.g. a walk/run after lunch).
Create some sort of reward system: allow yourself a treat if you do your rituals for the whole week!
Pre-schedule leisure time throughout the week.
Don't try to schedule/plan too many rituals at once: make it reasonable and attainable.
Charge your phone in another room in order to prevent yourself from dawdling.
Be mindful to avoid dopamine-releasing activities at night (e.g. movies; video games; social media scrolling; pornography; eating junk food; drug or alcohol use). Go to bed earlier if you find your night-times being unproductive or lending to addictive habits (going to sleep earlier is better for the body, anyhow).
Put on music that will make it easier to do whatever you're desiring to do that part of the day (e.g. classical music for studying; rock, pop, or rap/hip hop for exercise; mantras for meditation).
CLEANING HOUSE (LITERALLY)
If you are a Virgo sun or rising sign, you're likely pretty organized already, but for the rest of us, this Virgo Full Moon is a much-needed reminder to clean up and organize our environments! It is certainly easier to have a calm and organized mind when your living environment is clean and organized.
If your home is pretty messy, the best places to start are the areas where you spend the most time (e.g. bedroom, car and living room)--as these areas will most directly affect your energy field and mind—then spread out to other parts of your home. The garage, basement and attic will probably end up being last. Also, consider hiring help if it’s too daunting of a task.
BALANCING LOGIC AND PSYCHIC GUIDANCE/INTUITION
When the Virgo Full Moon rolls around annually, we get to see this interesting and important polarity play out between logic and intuition. The sun is joined by Mercury, the planet of communication and the ruling planet of Virgo; Jupiter, the planet of luck and expansion; and Neptune, the planet of mysticism, intuition and illusion--in Neptune's home sign of Pisces. In fact, the sun and Neptune--as well as Mercury and Jupiter--have conjunctions with one another with approximately four degrees of orb; while Jupiter conjuncts Neptune at five degrees of orb.
So with this Pisces stellium, the ethereal, intuitive Piscean energies are amplified at this time. We might say that this Virgo Full Moon has to work extra hard to balance out its polar opposite Zodiac sign. But let’s talk a bit about how we can create a healthy balance between logic and psychic guidance and intuition.
My moon sign is in Virgo, and this could be why I believe that one of my primary contributions to the spiritual community is my advocacy for the use of logic and practicality. Although there is a wealth of wonderful, helpful and practical information, guidance and psychic predictions out there on the Internet, the space is also riddled with misinformation, airy-fairy premises with little practical application, and false channelings.
It's because of my own past experiences with false channelings, not-so-talented psychics, misinformation, and the illusions of the mind that I feel it is so important to emphasize the use of logic.
I don't wish to use this particular article to go into a detailed diatribe on all of the misinformation and false predictions that circled the spiritual communities of the Internet over the past two years, but I would just like to point out that not everything you hear or read is necessarily accurate or a true channeling, regardless of who it is being channeled from or what the source is.
I believe it is healthy to keep the viewpoint of a healthy skeptic, even if something feels true. You can believe something and still be open to it being wrong or incomplete. (And yes, there are true channelings out there, but many are partially or fully coming from ego-mind.)
For those who work with me or know me personally, they are sometimes surprised at how logical I am, considering my psychic abilities. In fact, I believe that one of the reasons that I tend to be pretty clear and accurate with my psychic faculties is because I run whatever information I garner from my psychic pathways through a logical filter of “Does this make sense?” Logic and intuition don't have to be enemies.
For example, I am a Medical Intuitive, using psychic vision and abilities to receive information about what's going on inside the body, however I have also studied human anatomy. It's hard to see what's going on inside the body if you don't know where the organs are!
I regularly read abstracts of medical studies. I have extensively studied supplements and I continue to do so. I have stacks of alternative medical books in my office. I often encourage clients to get alternative medical tests done if they can afford them, and I believe everyone should get a yearly blood test to keep track of some crucial markers. I believe test numbers are a necessary complement to intuitive information.
One of my favorite books is Expansion for Ascending Consciousness by Todd R. Deviney, which is an in-depth channeled scientific explanation of the quantum physics of the Universe and Ascension. After reading the book, it affirmed my belief that almost everything is explicable logically.
I highly recommend checking out his books if you are scientifically-minded or if you're curious. They are slow reads, as they carry an incredible amount of very complex information. But the books are mind-blowing, and there's absolutely nothing like them that you've read in any more mainstream scientific publications.
I would also highly recommend checking out the collaborations that Todd and I did on my YouTube channel. Here’s the link to Part 1.
My point is that logic isn't something that needs to be demonized while we are on the spiritual journey. You can live from your Heart and make some important decisions from the gut while still using your logical mind to navigate the majority of your life. I mean, if you really think about it, most of the decisions you make throughout your day are logic-based. You have a set of things you need to/want to accomplish during the day, and you use your logical mind to go from one step to the other.
I'd like to address the topic of intuitive eating. Many people are following this trend, which I think is great as long as logic isn't completely thrown out the window. I think it's a great idea to pay attention to what it feels like your body is needing (e.g. more protein, more fat, more fruit); however, I do believe you should have a general plan as well that is based on logic.
For example, if you're trying to lose weight, you want to go either high-carb/low-fat, or low-fat/high-carb. Intermittent fasting is a great option for some people, and that's something that should be planned out logically. Fasting won't work if you listen to your body, as naturally you're going to get hungry and want to break the fast. The length of the fast should be pre-planned, as should what you're going to eat going into and coming out of the fast.
My advice is to not choose supplements or homeopathic remedies based purely on intuition. I've tried doing that or doing it with muscle testing, and I didn't have a whole lot of success. Rather, consult someone (like myself or someone else you trust) who can give you a plan based on which supplements or remedies will logically ameliorate the conditions or symptoms you're intending to work on. I have a great respect for homeopaths, who use a logical progression of questions to evaluate the patient's constitution, then often use a bit of intuition to choose a remedy if there are several possibilities, as is usually the case.
Eckhart Tolle--who is probably the person I respect most in the spiritual community--was once asked in one of his talks how to make decisions. I am paraphrasing from memory, but I recall him saying to first use your logical mind to eliminate any potential choices that aren't possible or don't make sense at the time. Then, from a place of presence, use your intuition to choose. I love that perspective; we are logical beings and we don't need to throw logic out completely.
Sometimes what's most logical is the only really feasible or realizable choice. When logic says there are several choices that are plausible, feasible and realizable, that's when it's a great opportunity to utilize intuition to make the best possible choice. When intuition is strongly telling you to choose one thing over another—even if it might seem less logical than the other choice—then you should at least acknowledge and consider what your intuition has to say, as long as there would be at least some logic to choosing the at-first-glance less logical choice.
Again, we don't want to throw logic completely out the window—for example, if you felt a strong, undeniable call to walk off trail in a park, even if you couldn't explain why, your logical mind could at least give a plausible explanation for it, like perhaps there is a special rock or stone or place that you are meant to see. Your logical mind could warn you to watch out for poison ivy or oak along the way. That would be an example of a reasonable and healthy merging of logic and intuition.
The thing is, though, what seems like intuition isn't always actually intuition, which complicates things. I have seen and spoken to a lot of people who thought their intuition was telling them to do something and it turned out it was an illusion of the ego-mind. This happened to me during a period in my life when I was taking part in a lot of plant medicine ceremonies and I was way too much in my head and misinterpreting intuition.
Here's a good example of this. Years ago, I was in the supermarket with my dear friend who is now on the other side. We had been talking about intuition over the days prior and trying to figure out how to better use it. He randomly grabbed some sort of boxed product from the dry section and left it in the frozen section with the ice cream. I asked him why he did it, and he said that intuition told him to. It was then that I realized there is a fine line between intuition, impulse, and illusion derived from the ego-mind.
Both intuition and illusion lie in the realm of Pisces and Neptune. To discern which is which isn't easy and in fact for most of us it will take a lifetime of figuring out. It's not something I have completely figured out myself yet either, but I do the best I can and always try to merge logic and intuition as much as possible.
I wrote an e-book a few years back called Developing the Skills of Discernment and Intuition. It's free; if you'd like a copy, you can e-mail me at youareadivinehuman@gmail.com or click the Contact Me page on this website.
In general, intuition is very subtle, while ego-mind is often coercing, impulsive or has a story behind it (for example, my dear friend went on to explain to me that the boxed product was 'supposed' to be with the ice cream for some reason).
My favorite method for making decisions is to check in with the body. What does my body feel when I think about (Choice A)? What does my body feel when I think about (Choice B)? Even this exercise can sometimes lead you astray (when there's a feeling to push through to get to something that's important), so weigh this against your logic before making a final decision; however I find it to be a very good and highly accurate method to make decisions. Most of the time, going with what feels good to your body will lead you down the best path.
Another good method is to put your hand over your Heart and ask if a certain decision is in the Highest Good for your evolution? Then feel the sensation in your Heart. Does it feel like angel wings in your Heart are going up (likely an aligned decision), or the wings are going down and kind of dying (maybe not so aligned of a decision).
The tarot is a fantastic tool to assist in decision making, however it should not be a replacement for actually making the decision. I have really become best friends again with my tarot deck over the past two years (why did I ever take a few years off of it?) and I find it to be really helpful in showing me the energies present in the situation I am inquiring about.
However, the tarot will never make a decision for you; it's only there to help clarify the situation and to give you a sense of possible outcomes. And it should be noted that fear or anxiety will cloud the cards when you are reading for yourself and can sometimes give you false readings, so if you're anxious or fearful have someone else read for you.
If you’d like to learn to read the tarot the right way, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or already advanced and just want to improve, check out my 2022 Comprehensive Tarot Reading Course! It is 13 weeks long, includes a Certificate of Completion and a free personal reading with me, and begins April 23.
Another fine line that is difficult to discern is fear versus intuition. If you are feeling the need to avoid something, is that your intuition or is that a fear? Again, it's hard to tell—but the number one thing I would pay attention to is whether there is a long story behind it (likely fear), or if it's a subtle feeling that you should avoid something (likely intuition). In some cases, logic may be telling you to make a certain choice, but a subtle feeling is telling you to avoid it. In that case, do pay attention to your intuition (and again, if you think about it further, you should be able to come up with a logical explanation as to why you should listen to your intuition in that case).
Ideally, logic and intuition line up. That's the sweet spot, and it's hard to make a bad decision from there. Even if the decision doesn't work out in the end, or unexpected results come about from that decision, it would be hard to blame yourself for the decision you made. Likely, if the outcome wasn't what you wanted, it was exactly the experience you needed anyways.
I'd like to quote Tolle from a 2018 video Can We Trust Our Feelings and Intuition? to give us some more clarity on discerning true intuition: “Intuition comes out of presence...there is a quiet strength behind your feeling...you may not be able to explain to others why...there is a peaceful quality to it.”
As I wrote earlier, this negotiation between logic and intuition is a lifelong journey. If you’d like to really dig into this fascinating topic with me, please purchase the recording of last month’s Mastering Your Intuition course.
We could also say that the interplay between logic and intuition is the interplay and cooperation between the left (masculine) brain and the right (feminine) brain. Establishing coherence between the left and right brains is an important part of the spiritual journey.
Physically, Brain Gym exercises and the Cortices Technique are helpful. Balancing logic and intuition in your life and honoring and utilizing both is another important journey in establishing greater balance between the brain hemispheres.
LETTING GO OF FEAR AND WORRY
Another aspect of Neptune—which is quite activated in this Full Moon chart--is fear, especially fear caused by illusion. Have you ever seen the acronym for FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real? That is a great moniker to remember at this time.
Release worry and fear, and get into the Piscean flow of life. One of the Shadow aspects of Virgo is overthinking, fear and paranoia. When this overthinking arises—as it does from time to time for all of us (including moi, with my moon in Virgo!)--use the breath to settle your mind, and turn your attention toward gratitude and beauty. My dog, nature and music always does the trick for me.
Worry is the act of using the Virgo mind against oneself. As Tolle says, “Either accept the situation or change it. All else is madness.”
Worrying about something does nothing to improve the situation. Solutions, which come from the higher aspect of the Virgo mind, arise when one is relaxed and feels safe. This is why sometimes solutions to problems come when you least expect them to, like when you're in the shower or on a walk. You're relaxed, receptive and not pushing too hard for a solution or overthinking, and boom! a solution comes!
My parents are worriers, their parents were worries, so naturally I've always been a worrier. I'm always working on quieting my mind. What I have discovered is that worry is never actually about the situation at hand; rather it's a pattern of ego-mind that simply transfers its influence from one situation to the next.
The situation is not the problem; it's the underlying pattern of worry. So the solution is almost always to divert one's attention to the present moment, and to beauty and gratitude. And the more deep breathing you do throughout the day, the more relaxed your nervous system is and the less overactive your mind will tend to be.
IMPROVING COMMUNICATION
Virgo is ruled by Mercury, the king of communication. The most effective way to become a better communicator is to learn to listen better. By listening better, we are giving the other person the gift of being heard, which is so often the underlying reason why we have conversations with one another in the first place. It feels good to be heard.
The best interviewers out there are the ones who you can tell listen very well. They are present in the conversation and thus they ask compelling follow-up questions that make for a really interesting interview. A poor interviewer will usually be nervous, stuck in their head and ask only the pre-written questions—as they are not really listening to what the interviewee is saying.
Being present in our interactions with others enhances our quality of life immensely. Conversations become much more enjoyable when you listen better. And by listening better to someone else's stories and experiences, it is more likely that they will reciprocate to you by listening to your stories and experiences. Being heard opens the Heart and makes us want to make space to hear someone else.
Another great tactic is taking a pause before you respond to anything anyone says. It is never wise to respond to anything someone says with anger, as anger only will make a communication issue worse or cause further problems. Making it a habit to pause before responding gives you a buffer that ensures you won't say something you later regret.
Even when you're not feeling triggered, taking a pause before responding allows you another moment to collect your thoughts and to make an even more effective statement. Those with high levels of charisma generally pause before speaking or responding.
Another important part of learning better communication is boundary setting. Be honest with yourself and others about how you're willing to communicate and what's acceptable (and unacceptable) as far as the way that another person communicates with you. There will be times when you simply don't feel like communicating, and that's OK—honor that.
It is OK to tell someone no. It is OK to tell someone you're too tired, or you need space to yourself. It is OK to tell someone you need a break. It is OK to tell someone you're uncomfortable or it's not a good time. It's OK to reschedule commitments. Honoring these feelings builds healthy self-esteem.
The most difficult people in your life to set proper boundaries with may very well be family members. They have known you for a long time, and they may think that it's OK to treat you like they treated you when you were a child. They may not be able to see or perceive how you have evolved.
With family members, you must remember that you are allowed to evolve and you are allowed to change your boundaries when you feel it's necessary. Sometimes, a family member will actually be open to discussing boundaries if you give them the chance. It's best to always give others the benefit of the doubt; though if someone really won't honor your boundaries--family member or not--you may sometimes need to reduce or even fully walk away from communicating with them.
Another really awesome way to improve communication is to give out more compliments. People love receiving compliments, and you'll find that as you dish out compliments to others you'll find them coming back to you in unexpected and heartwarming moments!
EQUINOX & ASTROLOGICAL NEW YEAR
The first Equinox of 2022 occurs at 11:34 AM New York time (15:34 GMT) on Sunday, March 20. It is of course the Spring (Vernal) Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the Autumn Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Pagan tradition, it is known as Ostara in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Equinox marks midway between the Solstices, and the time when daylight and nighttime are of approximately equal length everywhere on the planet. It is also the moment when the sun moves into the cardinal sign of Aries—the first sign of the Zodiac Wheel, thus marking the Astrological New Year.
The energetic template of this day is all about balance, including balance between the feminine and masculine energies (the yin and the yang), the inner and outer experiences, as well as the right and left brains.
Ask yourself how balance fits into your life at the current moment and what you need to do to become more balanced in all ways. Where are you over-focused and where are you under-focused? In what moments of your life do you feel most balanced? How could you apply that feeling, that centeredness, to other aspects of your life?
Ostara is the Pagan festival that celebrates the Spring Equinox. It is likely derived from an Anglo-Saxon goddess named Eostre. Easter is almost certainly derived from Ostara, as the symbology is similar. In Ostara, the hare and the egg are most prominent; the hare is a symbol for the moon and the egg is a symbol for fertility, birth, growth and abundance. The moon is said to die every morning and be reborn each night, thus being a symbol for immortality. So, the energies of Ostara have to do with health, wealth, abundance, birth and rebirth.
When we transition into fiery Aries season, the focus should be on carrying the momentum of all of the practical measures and steps forward you make following this Virgo Full Moon into creating as much as possible that you want for yourself right now. With all the planets still Direct, the energy is super-ripe right now for creation and accomplishment!
Aries, ruled by Mars, is in charge of physical vitality, sport and sex (especially the masculine aspect of sex). It is the most masculine-oriented sign. During Aries season, pushing your physical body is a great idea! Go to the gym, go on hikes, lift weights, play sports, etc. Sport can be an incredibly spiritual experience (my listeners that are current or ex-athletes know this).
Wishing you a wonderful and productive Full Moon in Virgo, a Blessed Equinox and Blessed Ostara!
With Love,
Matthew John
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